This Heart and Hope
by flyingxpanda
Summary: -A futuristic fic.- Dirk Strider and Jake English are companions. They're fighting side by side in the army, but not just any army. They're in the future, the year of 2082! Keep reading to continue the story.
1. Chapter 1

It is the year of 2082. The year of a whole new start, they said, whoever 'they' is. Dirk Strider walks primly in the bright white hallway, his polished shoes hitting the clean floors with every step. He was heading towards room B243. Jake English was injured in that room, machines keeping him alive, and his heart beating. And Dirk wasn't having any of it.  
The stupid mission caused Jake to sacrifice his own life for Dirk's because he was foolish. _You didn't look both ways. It's your fault your best friend is in there, nearly dead._ Dirk takes a big breath, and steps up to the door. His jacket collar was standing up, and he looks down. Knocking softly on the door, he hears coughs on the other side. Immediately, he opens the door, seeing Jake beat up and bruised. His heart nearly stops at the sight. Dirk kicks the door shut with the back of his foot, and he swallows, his mouth dry. Jake visibly winces at the loud sound, and Dirk drags a chair over to the side of the bed. The plastic handles were glowing a light blue.

"Jake?" His amber orange eyes scanned over his weak, paling body.  
"How's it going, mate?" His voice was weak, and Dirk lets his head fall onto the soft and plush blankets. "I'm sorry." The words echo through out the bare room, and no one speaks for a while.

"I-I didn't look out for the both of us like I promised. It's like fucking looking both ways before crossing a street, it's my fault." He says firmly, and Jake puts his hand over Dirk's. The blond's eyes widen, the other man's fingers incredibly cold.

"It's fine Dirk, honestly. I'll be out of here in no time to continue the missions, alright? Don't get your panties up in a twist." Dirk chuckles at his words, and he shakes his head.

"I can try. But right now, you need to get better. Lalonde says we need'a get our heads back in the game." Dirk says, with an amused tone to his voice. "Alright Strider. Get your arse back to work." Jake says, and then clears his throat, " Tell Lalonde that I said I'll get better in no time."  
Dirk nods, and stands up, his back straight. He quietly puts the chair back into its rightful place, and turns to Jake. "I'll be back tomorrow. See ya'." He says, and turns on his heels, opening the door, and heading out. _You did it. Congrats_. Dirk sighs, and makes his way down the hallways with his hands stuffed into his pockets, heading home.

The keys hit the small bowl filled with other keys, and Dirk flicks the lights on. The room illuminates with a light yellow, and something shuffles on the couch. The small feline jumps down from the black couch, trotting over to Dirk's legs as he was slipping his shoes off. Dirk nearly trips over the small kitten, her tail swishing from side to side with elegance as she walked off to the kitchen. "Darn cat." He says under his breath, walking to the kitchen. He opens one of the polished, wooden cabinets, pulling out a container filled with wet cat food. Taking off the top, he grabs the small bowl from the floor, filling it with food. Purrs are heard, but they were weak, since she was only a little kitten. Dirk hadn't had the chance to name her, but he wanted it to start with a J for some reason. Grabbing the other bowl, he grabs the milk from the fridge, pouring a small amount in. He then grabs the two bowls, and puts them down, the kitten going in between his legs, starting to munch on the food quickly. Dirk chuckles, and pets her, going back to put everything away.

Once everything was put away, Dirk takes off his jacket, hanging it up in the closet that automatically closed behind him. Sighing, he goes to the bathroom, and stands on the small template on the floor. Suddenly, small machines that he installed started to strip him from his clothes. The cold water shot through the head of the shower, waiting for Dirk to enter. Good...No problems so far. Stepping into the cold water, he lets out a small sigh. Today was too eventful for him, with Jake getting hurt and all.

Gunshots and loud explosions are heard- _and seen_. Dirk pushes Jake back behind him, his gun charging up for more fire. It makes a wiring sound, a click afterwards once it was done. Dirk goes straight out, making a roll to go to the other side. Jake usually had to do everything the first person, which was Dirk in this case, and roll as well. But, Dirk hadn't checked for enemies even though there were gunshots heard not too far away. A huge explosion was heard from behind Dirk, and he prayed that nothing had happened to Jake. He hoped that Jake was right beside him, waiting for a signal. But, his body was laying on the ground, covered in rubble. Dirk throws down two shield barriers, light orange shields going around the both of them. He rushes over to Jake, and starts to push off all the rock and dirt covering him. Coughing was heard, and Dirk panics. They were the A-Team, and never got hurt. And Dirk hadn't looked out for either of them. "Jake? Jake, come back to me, we need to get through this alive." Shaking his shoulders, Jake's emerald green eyes flash open through his now cracked glasses lens, a weak nod coming from him. He tries to sit up, moving his hands and fingers. He had multiple cuts and bruises over his arms, and Dirk was sure there were tons more. "I'm so sorry Jake..." Dirk stands up, and hauls Jake into his arms, kicking the shield bases to make them go down. Once they do, Dirk grabs his gun, and lays it on Jake, turning the safety on. The blond starts to run towards the way they entered, wincing at the sounds of people running after him. _You fucked up_. It rings through his head, and it pushes him to fight harder, his feet hitting the floor lightly, but swiftly.

Dirk had stood in that cold water for nearly half an hour, the memories flooding back to his mind. Cleaning his hair, he steps out, the air hitting him from both sides. The air tanks shoot air at him, drying him instantly. He crouches slightly, the wind hitting his hair. Small scratches and mews were heard from the door, and Dirk grabs a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He opens the door, and the kitten stumbles in, running straight to the litter box. Dirk sighs, wondering how long she had to wait. He walks down the hallway, small patters of footsteps coming up behind him. Looking back, the small kitten was following him. Her fur was completely black except for her paws, a cirle around her left eye, and the tip of her tail. She had vibrant green eyes, and she was playful. But with Dirk in a bad mood, she wasn't biting his toes, or running up behind him to bite. She was walking calmly, and Dirk was surprised by the fact that she was.

Stepping into his room, the fragile kitten in tow, Dirk pulls out a big sweatshirt, slipping into it. His mind started to drift off to Jake, but with the soft, fluffy fur rubbing against his leg, those thoughts were dismissed. A smile reaches his bitten lips, and he quickly steps into some gray boxers, pulling some sweatpants on afterwards. He tosses the towel onto his bed, and picks her up. Petting her small head, his smile grows even more at the sight of her leaning into his touch. Finally, a name pops up into his head.

"Junai." The word tumbles out of his mouth, and the kitten suddenly stops. Dirk shrugs, and then gently puts her down. The name rings through his head, and he sits down in his chair. Starting up his computer, the fans start to whir, and the screen blinks multiple colors as it regains life. Junai hops up onto his lap, and he pets her a few times, one hand going to type in his password. As soon as it shows that the internet is working fine, he clicks on the browser, and then Pesterchum, looking to see who was online. _Of course Jake wasn't online, you idiot, he was in the damn hospital with no computer_. Sighing, Dirk just logs off. He was feeling bummed out, and he carefully picks up the small kitten, going to his bed, and laying her down. Arm outstretched to throw the towel off the bed, the other one goes to pull the messy covers down. Making sure not to move the kitten, he lays around her, pulling the covers up. As he settles in, the lights automatically shut off, and Junai makes her way up closer to Dirk's face, purring. Dirk closes his eyes, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

The morning light seeps through the slightly closed blinds, and Junai hops off the bed. Dirk was still fast asleep, his phone ringing in the kitchen. The obnoxious music from the electronic device had awoken the feline, and she ran towards the sound. Dirk, still fast asleep, didn't hear anything.

Jake got up out of the bed, feeling extremely fine, but looking beat-up, and bruised all over. With his beaming, award-winning grin, he stepped towards Jane. She was in the room with him. Wrapping her arms around him, Jake chuckles quietly. "Are you sure Dirk won't find out? Or Roxy?" His clear voice echoes throughout the room, and Jane nods, pressing a small kiss to Jake's cut up cheek. "Mm... I'm sure the blondes won't find out. Later, I'll speak my mind to Dirk for making you like this. No ifs, ands, or buts." Jane declares, and Jake nods. "Got it." At the last second, Jane presses in for the kiss, her light pink lips against his lighter ones. Jake hesitantly flicks his tongue out to lick Jane's bottom lip, and she happily responds, parting her lips. A low, husky moan is heard from Jake, and he tightens his grip on Jane, a small yelp coming from her.

Dirk shoots up in his bed, eyes wide, and his clothes sticking to his frame. He was panting, _no- gasping for breath_. His hand went to his chest, and he swallows, his throat dry. _It was a dream... A dream, get over it. Jake didn't like anyone... Right?_ Dirk fell back into his bed, and he pulled at his shirt, trying to get some cool air down on his body. Maybe a cold shower would do him some good. Nearly tripping over his feet as he gets out of bed, he stumbles towards the bathroom, and he tears off his shirt. The shower shoots out cold water as he was pulling down his pants. He didn't let the machines take off his clothing this time.

After the shower, Dirk was relaxed. Junai was asleep on the couch, curled up. He smiles slightly, and then grabs his phone. One missed call from Jake. And another from Roxy. And another from Jane. _. . . ?_ What did they want from him? Deciding to save Jake for last, he picks up the phone, and then calls Roxy.

"Dirk-A-Dirk! You finally callllllled me back!" Her voice screeches through his ear, and he clears his throat. "Uh, yeah. Didn't expect for you to call me at nine in the freaking morning. What's up with that?" Roxy replies, "Mm, I just thought you'd be up at that time to... To... To talk!" Dirk rolls his eyes, rubbing his forehead. "Anything to tell me?"

"Well, Jake's getting better slowly. He'll be outta there in no time! Just, visit him a bit more... Okay? He'll slip into that sappy-saddy time. 'Kay?" Dirk pinches the bridge of his nose, and licks his lips. "Yeah, of course. I plan on going today." Roxy's voice quiets down slightly. "Alrighty! I'll talk to you later than. See ya' Dirky!" The line goes dead. Next up was Jane. Well... Maybe he'd skip her. Calling Jake's number instead, he presses the phone to his ear. "Jake present! Who is it?"

It felt so good to hear his voice. All these thoughts run through his mind, that he forget to answer. "Hellooooo? Anyone on the other line? Darn, must be those kids again! No... Wait... Dirk? Strider, if this is you can you please answer me?" His voice was so smooth, like in the dream.

"Did you kiss Jane?" _You're screwed. Why the hell did you ask him that?_

"W-What?" Good job, Strider. You've earned yourself the title of 'The Most Idiotic Guy on the Planet.'


	2. Chapter 2

Dirk clears his throat, shaking his head. _Wow, you're SO good at this._ "N-Nothing." Stuttering over his words, he sighs, and listens to Jake. "_Nothing?_ Strider, I better see your arse in here soon or I'll request to leave this clean place!" His tone of voice somewhat scared the blond. "Alright. I'll be there in thirty minutes, tops. See ya', English." At the last sound, he hangs up, letting his head hit the granite countertop of the small island in the kitchen.

"I am screwed so bad. So bad it goes up anyones' ass and never appears again.." He mumbles under his breath, and then plugs in his phone to charge. With the small kitten pestering him endlessly with her barely heard mews, he stands up, and goes to the cabinets. Opening them, he grabs a container filled with wet cat food, and he puts it down on the new machinery he installed. Whiring is heard from it as he grabs the milk from the fridge, and a victorious smile spreads across his lips. Finally, one of his works was functioning correctly without a problem. With his shower and the changing, it took quite a while for the machine to learn not to grab his skin near his ankles if he wasn't wearing socks already. There was one time when he went to the shower and he wasn't wearing a shirt, and the metal arm pulled his nipple. He's never shared the story with anyone.  
Pouring the milk into the small bowl, he puts it down in its place, and then grabs the container, putting it down near the other bowl. He walks off to his room to get dressed, since all he was in was a towel. Humming quietly to himself, he tugs on a loose, gray sweatshirt. He lets the sleeves go past his wrists, and then he grabs the nicely fitted black jeans, tugging them on. Slipping on his favorite pair of high-tops, he laces them neatly, tucking the ties under the tongue of the shoe. Slipping on a necklace given to him by Jake, he heads out of the house, the door's lock automatically clicking shut.

Dirk makes his way down that same, familiar white hallway, and he stops at the door. B243. A voice from inside stops Dirk from opening the door, and he realizes that it's Jake.  
"W-What? Yeah, Dirk would've been here any second now... Well, y'know how that man is never late! Jane, there uh.. Pft! Me, liking Dirk Strider? You must be out of your mind, collect your marbles, darling!" Jake exclaims, most likely on the phone.  
Dirk's mood worsens. One reason, Jake basically just said he'd never like Dirk. Two, he called Jane 'darling'. He cringes slightly, pressing his ear to the door.  
"What happened today mostly?... Hm, well Dirk called. Heh.. He said something about me kissing you, apparently! Ha ha, very funny Jane. As if the man would think that! ... So what if we would sneak around? Of course we'd never get caught because we can easily tiptoe around them with the subject! ...Al-" Dirk opened the door.

"Hey Jake." He says. The black haired man turns around, his voice quieting down. He holds up one finger, giving a smile. "Jane, Dirk is here! I'll have to call you later or something, alright? Have a lovely day, darling." _There he fucking goes again. Darling._  
"Well, it's finally nice of you to join me! Come and sit." He scoots over on the bed, putting the blanket up to his waist, revealing his bruised and cut up chest. Dirk nods. Maybe he didn't know that Dirk had heard everything? Deciding what to do, Dirk sits on the edge of the bed, kicks off his shoes, and moves closer. So what if Jake didn't know about Dirk's little crush? He'd get over it. He did it with Roxy, he can do it with Jake.

"So uh.. About that thing you told me earlier in the day. What happened?" Jake asks, leaning his head on his open palm with his elbow on his thigh. It was the position that little children usually do when they're listening to someone. "It was a bad dream of some sort, I guess." Dirk mutters, shaking his head. It was awfully silent afterward.  
"Uh.. Dirk, what if it wasn't a dream? Would you still be worrying about it?" Jake asks, a hint of fear heard in his voice. Dirk freezes for a second. "You know we can't date if we're in that shit ass army, right? We'd have to ask Lalonde to send up a letter to the head captain and the guy would have to literally ask Jane millions of questions. I think it'd be better off if you just lay off of her, English." Dirk says, not wanting to make it too obvious that he just didn't want the two to date.  
"Ugh... It's like you have something against the poor girl! Maybe she wants to be loved rather than being stuck in that dingy bakery by herself and machines!" He exclaims, throwing his hands down. Dirk sighs, and rubs his forehead. "I'm trying to tell you that maybe not putting her through all those questions would be easier." Dirk says. And finally, it was like Jake understood.  
"Brilliant! I should just quit and go work with her!" Jake says, a huge smile on his face. Immediately, Dirk beats down the idea. "No! Think about us for a second, would you?"

"Wait, _romantically_?" He asks, a bright pink covering his cheeks. Dirk liked the idea of talking like that, but it wasn't the time. "No. Our team. All of our work would just go to waste, and everything we've been aiming to do together is just gonna go down into the pits of hell because we never got to them. Plus, Rox says we're like, the best team when she brings up the chart. Like, whoever the hell Dave and John are, they're below us. We've got to stay number one, that was the promise you made to me, remember? 'Oh, Mr. Strider, I've gotta tell you something, chap! We're going to stay number one all the time until it's over, right?' Those are the exact words." Dirk says, letting out a breath afterwards. "And if you want to talk romantically, it's fine with me." He says, glancing at Jake.

From the sight of Jake, he had his emerald, green eyes opened wide, his lips slightly parted, and his hands were in the middle of doing something. Finally, he blinks, and looks away, his Adam's Apple bobbing in his throat. "You're right. I apologize, Strider. It flew past my head entirely. I'd probably never leave because I don't know shit about baking.." He mumbles, and then nods, sitting up straight. "So uh.. What about us? Romantically?" Jake asks, and Dirk, if he had a drink in his mouth, would either choke, or spit it out._ It's your chance, take it!_ He takes a deep breath, and gives a one shoulder shrug. "Where do we start?" Dirk asks, and Jake shrugs.  
"I dunno, but is it bad that I've always made little.. I don't know what to call them, but I make up scenes in my head about us at times. Most of the time they have to be sent away from my thoughts because nurses come in and then they ask if I'm okay because my heart rate was blasted through the roof?" Jake lets it out in some form of a question, and Dirk chuckles. "Alright, alright. I think it's best if you get some rest. Roxy's already piling up missions for me to do solo." Dirk says, and he slides off the bed, starting to untie his shoes to put them back on.

Suddenly, Dirk froze. Jake had moved, and hugged him from behind. His legs were wrapped around Dirk's waist, and his arms around his neck with his chest pressed against the blond's back. "Don't leave me Dirk... Everyone has been doing that lately.."  
"Well, what do you expect? You're in a hospital. They're leaving so that you can get better." Dirk says, his fingers holding onto the two ends of the shoelaces.

"Well.. You know how I get if I'm left alone for a long time! I get really sad, a-and Roxy said it herself to me a day or two ago!"  
"Then how about we ask if they can release you early so you can just rest at my place? So then you're not so lonely." Dirk suggests, slipping on his first shoe. "Strider, that's excellent! Ask them at the check-out desk! I can walk by myself for a few minutes, we can pull it off!" Jake exclaims, his grip on Dirk tightening. "Alright, if you let me go, I'll do it." Dirk says, and the warmth from Jake left him immediately. "But don't you want to bring me?" Jake asks, tilting his head slightly. Dirk shrugs, and slips on his other shoe, tying it quickly. "I'll get you afterwards if they let you go." Standing up, the blond walks towards the door, opens it, and leaves. He heads towards the check-out desk, and he clears his throat as he looks at the teenager sitting behind the desk on his phone. He nearly drops it, and he stutters, "I-I-I'm sorry, I just.. I-" Dirk cuts in, "It's fine, I just need to know if Jake English in room B243 can be released yet."

Some clicking and talking later, Jake is on Dirk's back, holding onto him with all his might. His new glasses were here, and he was wearing them happily, humming quietly as he rests his head on Dirk's shoulder. They reached their form of transportation, and then they were off.

Dirk sets the sleeping Jake down on his bed, and he covers him with two black blankets, slipping out of the room silently. He closes the door, and sighs quietly, looking around. Junai was napping on the couch, but with every sound Dirk made, her eyes opened slightly to see what had been going on. Dirk sits besides her, and then gives up, kicking off his shoes, and tugging his pants down. It was too warm in the apartment to be wearing such things. He lays down near her, curling up around her. He listens to her weak purring, his finger gently moving under her chin. Not even ten minutes later, the door to his room opens, and Dirk pretends to be asleep, Junai looking around to find the source of the sound.

"Awh.. It's a little kitten.." Jake is heard walking over, and kneeling down, the purring starting again. He was petting her now. Dirk feels Jake's eyes on him, and then he feels breaths against his face. "And my prince.." Jake leans forward, kissing Dirk's cheek softly. Jake cups Dirk's cheek, and gently runs his thumb against the lightly freckled skin, humming once again. And then coughing is heard, and it was pretty violent. Jake tried to hide it, covering his mouth with his sleeve, but Dirk pretended to wake up slowly. "Mnnh...Jake? What are you doing out of bed?" Dirk made his voice husky and low, and he knew what kind of effect it'd have on Jake.  
"I uh.. I woke up and I got distracted by this here feline." Jake reaches out, and pets Junai's soft head. "I went to go get a drink and maybe hit the loo after but... He's just too adorable!" Jake leans forward and plants a small kiss on the tip of her nose, and Dirk leans up on his elbow. "It's actually a girl, and her name's Junai. Now go get your drink and piss." Dirk says, flicking Jake's forehead. "Ugh, Strider! You're no fun." He pouts, and gets up, walking towards the kitchen._ Now he wasn't wearing pants? Since when..?_ Dirk frowns, and watches him walk away, following the sway of his hips. Sure, he was still wearing boxers, but Dirk could easily make out the shape of his fine, choice rump.

The fridge is heard opening and closing, and then a cup hitting the counter top. Jake comes back with a cup in hand, and he sits down by Dirk, right near his knees. "Mm.. How about you come back to bed with me rather than sleeping out here on this borin' ole' couch?" Jake asks, and Dirk's eyebrows raise. Once in a life time chance, dude. Take it. Dirk sighs, and knees Jake away. "Dude, just go fucking piss while I make up my mind." Jake chuckles, and quickly chugs the rest of his drink, putting the cup on the coffee table and scurrying to the bathroom. Dirk groans, and sits up, patting Junai on the hand, and walking towards his room. He crawls under the blankets, and closes his eyes, the door to the bathroom heard opening as well as a flush. The door to his room swings open, and closes, and Dirk closes his eyes as he feels the bed dip besides him.  
"Good night, Strider!" Jake says, and then quickly takes back his words. "Well.. Good napping I suppose."

Dirk doesn't even care, mumbling a "G'night."


End file.
